Paper-drying machine.



,No. 690,629. Patented Jan; 7, I902.

w. m. BARBER. PAPER nnvme MACHINE.

(Application filed Oct. 22, 1900.)

4 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Mode l.)

WITNEEEIBE '0. 690,629. Patented Jan. 7, I902.

w. m. BARBER.

PAPER DRYING MACHINE. (Application filed Oct. 22, 1905.)

(No Model.)

4 Sheets'Sheet 2.

\A/ITNEBEEE Q I I hJ/ENr-UR No. 690,629. Patented Jan. 7, I902. W. M. BARBER. PAPER DRYING MACHINE.

(Application me; Oct. 22, 1900.)

4 Sheets-Shagt 4.

(No Model.)

' UNITED STATES PATENT- ()r Icn.

WILLIAM M; BARBER, or SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, SSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO THE SMITH AND AN HONY COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSAOI-IU. SETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

PAPER-DRYING MACHINE.

srncrrxcncrron forming part of Letters Patent No. 690,629,. dated January 7, 1902.

Application filed October 22, 1900. SerialNo. 33,946. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, -WILLIAM M. BARBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have. invented a new and useful Improvement in Paper-Drying Machines, of which the follo ingtis a full, clear, and exact description, re erence-being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part 1c of this specification, in explaining its nature.

The invention relates to. an apparatus or 9 means for drying paper in the continuous web as it passes through the paper-making machine to the calender-rolls or to the windingl5 roll. It is adapted to be used either with or without the calendering' devices and upon either side of them. j 'It consists in a grid or. arrangement of rolls in two horizontal lines separated from each ,1 other perpendicularly at any desired distance.

and preferably arranged a little more than the diameter of a roll apart and with the up.- per rolls in line'with the spaces between the lower rolls. These rolls'are driven continuously by a friction driving mechanism, and the web leads up and down under a lower roll and over an upper roll in vertical folds or lengths practically parallel with each other each other by about the and separated from 0 diameter of a roll. The rolls with the web'of paper thus passing through them are combined with means for forcing against each vertical surface of the paper between the two lines of rolls blasts or currents of, drying-air delivered in reverse directions from between 40 upper rolls, and so on, andthe traveling web of paper separating the blasts' or currents, so

that the same web, exceptingth'e outermost I sections, will whilecontinnou'sly running receive on one'surfa'ce a blast or current of air surface a blast or current of air'that is moving downward, and this treatment of the con- ,tinuously-rnnning web of paper is capable of indefinite extension, whereby-the web in its the rolls, the first blast or current being' that is moving upward andnpon its opposing.

passage from the paper-making machine may 59 be subjected to as many blasts or currents of air as may be necessary for properly drying the same. It will be understood that the paper as it travels over the rolls and is sub-- jected to these drying blasts or curre'nts may 5 5 also be snbJected to any desired tension be: tween the rolls, whereby it may be more read- I ily susceptible to the action of the drying-currents.

The air rent I prefer to cleanse and dry, and there is employed in connection with the apparatus suitable air cleansing and drying means, as v well as exhaust and forcing fans; but Ido not 7 consider it is necessary to illustrate these means, and therefore have not shown them in the drawings. 7

It is desirable in drying paper that the tem-' perature and humidity of theair employed f should be known factors, and hence my a-p- 7o. paratus will work very effectively where the air supplied for dryingis taken f 'om the room J in which the drier is located and passed through cleansing and drying appliances and again forced into the room-and-against the.75 paper by means of the apparatus hereinafter described.

bearing upon my present invention except as it relates to the most economicalwayof operating it. I i I will now describe the, invention inconf ,nection with the drawings, wherein- J Y Figure 1- is a v-iew'in frontelevationof my improved machine. Fig. 2 is aview in rear elevationof a portion of the same. gFig. 3 is a view in vertical section upon the-dotted line 33 of Fig.1. Fig. 4 is a detailfview, enlarged, in side elevation, of one of the upper used for the drying blastor cur- 6o 4 This,however,doesnot have anyf rolls and the sprocket-wheels and turning,

device thereon. 1 Fig. 5 is a detail viewfin ver- 0 ticalsectiomof a portion of the air-duct; one,-

of its delivery-nozzles, and means for varying the size of said nozzle. Fig.6 is a view in vertical section upon the dotted; line 6 6 of, Fig. 5 and in elevation of; parts back of said 95.

tion of myimproved machine having nozzles of the character shown in Fig. 7, Fig. being a detail of such a nozzle to which an adjustable mouth is applied.

In the drawings, A represents the frame of the machine. It is constructed in a manner to permit of indefinite longitudinal extension and is there fore of a sectional character, each section a consisting of two sides,each of which has a base a,which rests upon a floor or support and'is bolted to it, bearings a a, for the pillow-blocks or other means for providing journals for the ends of the shafts of the rolls B B, and a central standard a having a pillow-block or other bearing at its upper end for one end of the shaft of the roll 13*. The two sides a. are connected together by crosslies a a", (see Fig. 3,) and each section is attached to the neighboring sections on each side of it by the side arches a and a the said arches being detachably fastened to the tops of the standards and providing supports for the rolls B As many of these sections a may be arranged in line as may be desired. In the drawings I have represented in Fig. 1 seven of these sections supporting fourteen under or lower rolls which are upon the same horizontalplane and thirteen upper rolls, seven of which are supported by the standards a and six by the intermediate arches.

The web C of paper passes from the papermaking machine or from the calender-rolls under the roll B, then up over the roll B then downward under the roll B, upward again over the roll B and so on-through the machine, making as many turns and forming twice as many vertical parallel lengths as there'are upper rolls, the web leaving the rear roll B of the rear section and passing to the paper winding. roll. The paper thus forms in its vertical passage about the two series of rolls a series of vertical compart-' ments D, open at each end and the side walls of which are formed by the moving web of paper, one side of which is moving downward while the other side is moving upward. All the rolls are rotated by a rotating mechanism which permits the slip of the driving mechanism in relation toth-e rolls or the rolls in relation to it, and this mechanism comprises two sprocket-wheels E E upon an extension e of each roll-shaft. These sprocketwheels arecoupled together to be turned together; but they are secured tithe shaft by means which permit their slip upon the shaft or the slip of the shaft in respect to them, be-

' ing held to theshaft by friction of any suitable kind, 'I have represented as one form of this frictional connection the bow-spring e, the rounded ends of which bear against the outer side of the sprocket-wheel E" and which is fastened to the end of the shaft by a screw e which also adjustsits tension. The sliptakes place between-the side of said sprocket-wheel and ends of said spring. The

outer sprocket-wheels and inner sprocketwheels are alternately connected by the means of which theroll may be turned in rei spect to the sprocket-wheels to take up or vary the tension upon the web. Each pair of standards also supports a tension-equalizing device F, comprising the rolls ff and the arms), in the ends of which the rolls have bearings. These arms f are pivoted .atf respectively to the standards and nearer one roll than the other in order that one roll may overbalance the other and tejid to keep the arms in a horizontal position and the rolls separated sufficiently to bear against the web' of paper in its upward and downward course (see Fig. 1) and slightly bulge or move it outward from adirect perpendicularline,thereby acting as an automatic equalizer and take-up.

It will be understood that the paper as it dries gradually contracts or shrinks, and that there must be provision between the upper and lower rolls for permitting this contraction or shrinkage while the paper is running, and that by throwing the paper somewhat out of line by a device which is operated by the paper provision for the shortening of this web in its passage is obtained, for as the paper dries its lengthbetween the rolls is reduced by moving the equalizing or tension rolls in ward, while, upon the other hand, when the paper is slack the tension or equalizing rolls preserve a proper tension upon the paper by automatically moving it outward from a di rect course suflicient to take up the slack.

There are arranged below and above the rolls the air-ducts G G. These ducts are con nected with air-supplying passages by which air is forced by a forcing fan or device into the ducts. decreases, and each is provided with a series of discharge outlets or nozzles 9 which are arranged to deliver a blast or current of air between each pair of rollsand into the open The area of the ducts gradually end of each compartment G formed by the web, as aforesaid, so that there is simultaneously delivered throughout the apparatus upon each side of the web a large number of drying blasts or currents, which alternately move in opposite directions first up and then down and each of which simultaneously acts against a surface of the web which ismoving upward and a surface which is moving downward. The size of each air outlet or nozzle is adjustable to vary the volume of air discharged, and I have represented as one means for obtaining such adjustment the dampers or valves g within the nozzle or outlet piv oted at their lower ends gficonnected together by the links 9 q in the nature of a toggle and opened and closed by means of a link 9 and rock-shaft g", the link or rockshaft having a'stud'g extending through a slot 9 in the side of'the duct, the outer end tages have been described in c'onnectionwith specific devices herein described for carrying the web upon the other side. W ith-a single the description oft-he nature of. the invention and of the construction of "the device. I would say that-I do not confine myself to the the invention into efiect, but-may use in lieu thereof the mechanical equila'lentsof the same.

In Fig. 7 I have shown the nozzle 01 aper- -'ture through which the'air drying-blast is fed against the paper web as arranged angularly to cause theblas to first strike against the web on one side nd to be then deflected by the web agains the surface of that part of nozzle the number of times of theimpact of the blast back and forth will vary with the inclination of the nozzle. With the divided nozzle (representedin Fig.8) two blasts are simultaneously deflected against opposing let in all respects like that shown in Fig. 5.

web-surfaces and then simultaneously deflected toward portions of'both web-surfaces beyond. In Fig. 10 is shown a nozzle like that of Fig. 7that is, one arranged angularly, but provided with an adjustable out- This method of directing the drying-blast against the paper web is, I-consider} a superior one because it causes all the air in large volume to be forced against the-paper and is therefore used in taking up the moisture and therefore becomes more thorOnghlysaturated and therefore more efiective in itspassage past the web. w

It is evident that the air outlets or nozzles shown in Figsfi-Z and 8 may advantageously be provided with means for adjusting their opening or openings to vary the volume of air discharged, such mechanism being preferably identical with that shown in Fig. 5. Asit seemed unnecessary to show this adjusting mechanism a second time in the drawings, it 7 is omitted from Figs. 7 and 8.

. Having thus fully described my invention',I

' claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesj 1. In a device for drying paper in the continuous web as it leaves the paper-making machine, a grid comprising two lines of rolls of 'comparatively'small diameter, about which the web of paper passes in a-manner to form narrow spaces or compartments which are open at two sides'and at one end, said line of rolls being a substantial distance apart,.

whereby the-web of paper forming the walls on, as set for th.

of said narrow spaces willbe vertical and of considerable length, and'means for directing dry-air currents or blastsinto said air spaces or compartments from their open ends'whe reby both sides of said web will 'be simultaneously dried by said air-currents, as and for the purposes. set forth.

2. In a device fordrylng papera grid comprising two lines of rolls about which the web of paper passes in a-manner to form narrow spaces or compartmentswhich are open at two sides and at one end and means for di recting dry-air currents or-blasts into said spaces or compartments from their-open ends and automatictension-equalizers between the j two lines of rolls.

3. In a device for 'drying paper in the con tinuous web, a'grid comprising two lines of rolls about which the web of paper passes ina manner1-to form narrow spaces or compartments which are open at two-sides and atone end, and meansfor directing air currents or blasts into said spaces'o'ncompartments from their open ends',:in combination with means for rotating said rolls, said means consisting of apowenshaft andfrictional devices connecting each roll with said power-shaft, and

means for adjusting the amount of, friction between each frictional device and its roll,

whereby the speed of rotation of the various rolls of said grid may be adjusted to conform to the shrinkage of the web being dried there- 4. In adevice for drying paper in the continous web as it leaves the paper-making machine, a grid comprising two lines of rolls about which the web of paper passes in a man ner to form narrow spaces or compartments which are open at two sides and at one end, frictional devices for rotating said rolls, automatic tension-equalizers betweenthe two lines of rolls and means for directing dry-air currents or blasts into said spaces orcompartments from their open ends.

5. Ina device for drying paper in the continuous web as it leaves the paper-making machine, a grid comprising two lines of rolls aboutwhich the web of paper passes in a manher to form narrow spaces or compartments which are open at two sides and at one end, frictional devices for rotating said rolls, additional devices for rotating said rolls independently of said frictional devices and means for directing dry-air currents or blasts of paper may pass in a manner to form nar- &

row spaces or compartments open at two sides and at one end, as and for the purposes described. I

7. In a device for drying paper in the continuous web asit leaves the paper-making machine, a series of pairs of independent vertical supports, each pair carrying rolls of the kind described at its-top and bottom, whereby said rolls will form a grid extensible in to length about which a web of paper may pass in a manner to form narrow spaces or compartments open at two sides and at one end, the walls forming said compartments being composed of said web of paper, and means for directing dry-air currentsor blasts into said air spaces or compartments and simultane-.

ously upon both sides of the same portion of said web, as and-for the purposes set forth.

. 8. As a means for drying paper in a continzo nous web, a grid comprising two lines of rolls,

a web of paper passing aroundsaid rolls in a manner to form narrow spaces or compartments, two sides of which are formed by said web, the two ends of which are open, one of :5 the other sides of said compartments being formed of one of said rolls, and means for directing dry-air currents or blasts simultaneouslyinto the open end'of each compartment,

whereby each portion of the web will be dried by currents passing into the open ends of said compartments simultaneously.

9. As a means for drying paper in a continnous web, paper-stretching rolls or devices over which the web is caused to travel and by which the web isheld under tension, fric tional devices by means of which said rolls are caused to rotate and means for simultaneously directing dry-air currents or blasts tinuous web, a grid comprising two lines of rolls about which the paper passes in a mannor to form narrow spaces or compartments which are open at two sides and at one end, and two air-ducts,one located above the upper line of rolls and the other below the lower line of rolls, each air-duct gradually decreas- 5o ing in area from one end to the other, the large ends of the air-ducts being respectively above and below the same end of said grid and each air-duct being provided with an opening in line with the end openings of said compartments, as and for the purposes set forth.

11. In a device for drying paper in the continuous web a grid consisting of two lines of rolls about which the web of paper passes in a manner to form narrow spaces or compartments which are open at two sides and at one end, means for directing air currents or blasts into said spaces or compartments from their open ends consisting of nozzles connected with a source of air-supply and devices for varying or adjusting the size of the outlet of said nozzles.

12. In a paper-drying machine the combi' nation of the stand, the rolls supported thereby and the automatic tension-equalizer comprising the arms f pivoted to the stands as described and bearing at their outer ends the tension-rolls f, f.

13. In a paper-drying machine, in combination with a continuously-traveling web arranged to travel on parallel or substantially parallel lines, means for deflecting a drying blast angularly against said web whereby it is caused first to strike one of the surfaces of said web and then to be deflected by it so as to'strike the surface of the web diagonally opposite where it first strikes.

WILLIAM M. BARBER.

Witnesses:

F. F. RAYMOND, 2 J. M. DOLAN. 

